Germany

The German Farmers Association has called for €1bn (£891.6m) in special aid, but agriculture minister Julia Kloeckner said the government would await her ministry’s own harvest report in late August before making a decision.

Albert Schulte to Brinke, Lower Saxony Farmers’ Association president, said the contrasting weather extremes of 2017 and 2018 have presented a challenge for farmers. He said the worst-affected regions are seeing the biggest crop losses in decades.

According to a Lower Saxony survey, potato and sugar beet farmers are expecting losses of 25-50% in comparison with last year.